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Highpine Valley
The Highpine Valley is one of numerous valleys strewn throughout the Alterac Mountains, creating remote ecosystems and, in many cases, preserving pockets of the old forests of ancient Lordaeron. With the rising need for timber to fuel national regrowth & reconstruction, the Highpine Valley, a small valley on the westernmost edge of the Alteraci border, played home to the Dominion of Alterac's newest constructed lumbermill. The project and factory are overseen by Dominion Marshal Raleigh Sternbridge, his intent being the Lumberworks to become the first of several large lumbermilling facilities within the mountain range that will harvest the mighty Alteraci Pine that fill these remote valleys. History The Valley was once owned by the House of Fereshen, an old noble household whose origins dated back to the foundation of the Kingdom of Alterac & were one of the House of Perenolde's most trusted supporters. Fereshen Keep, center of the family's holdings, sat just east of the Valley. After the Second War and the foundation of the Syndicate, the Valley sat untouched even as war with the Ogres intensified. Eventually Fereshen Keep was conquered and the House's members slain by a cabal of undead warriors, though the Keep was eventually razed by Argus Wake forces and the cabal and their forces defeated. The Valley remained isolated & forgotten for nearly a decade. Following a battle between Crushridge Ogres near Mount Low Peak, the Valley was found once more by Dominion forces. Using the opportunity in hopes of advancing himself in rank, Raleigh Sternbridge proposed the Lumberworks project to the Dominion House of Lords. He cited that the valley would provide ample lumber resources that would alleviate timberfelling in The Uplands while also being able to link with Low Peak safely with Dominion-held lands (provided that later mountain tunneling was done after the Highpine Valley's forests had been properly dealt with). Further research into reclaimed archives made it clear the region's previous owners, the House of Fereshen, was both a member of the Syndicate and believed extinct since the Third War. The Lumberworks Project was given permission to begin operation and the Highpine Valley was annexed by the Dominion of Alterac. Less than a year after the Lumberwork's foundation, the region became independent for a brief period under the de facto control of Raleigh Sternbridge after the Dominion was fractured. In the immediate aftermath, Marshal Sternbridge sought the assistance of the Dominion's friend, Geranelm Syla, to help protect the Valley and its inhabitants in exchange for his services as a soldier and knight. Following a short political stint as part of the House of Syla's sphere of influence, the Valley returned to its place as a territory of the Dominion of Alterac. This brief period of protection has granted the House of Syla, the people of Zundrbar, and members of the Ironcloak Vanguard a place of respect among the small population of Alteraci in the Valley and have been granted a place of permanent friendship. Location & Description The Highpine Valley is one of the westernmost valleys in the Alteraci Mountain range. Its western slope being on the edge of the former Kingdom, with the mountainside itself being the border proper between the former Kingdoms of Alterac and Dalaran. Tall, thick pine trees cover most of the region, save for a scant few meadows, a great granite outcropping in the center of the valley, named Anton's Mercy (named in honor of the Dominion hero, Anton Caerwyn, who was believed to have fallen in battle at the time of the outcropping's discovery), and the shoreline of Low Peak Lake. The Lumberworks and the growing township surrounding it sits on the shore of the Lake as well, which feeds into the province of Low Peak just to the southeast of the valley. Special filtration systems were erected in the lake to avoid polluting the lake and Low Peak's primary water supply. Aurellian Magi, primarily charged with erecting a light magical barrier over the Valley to prevent unwanted interlopers from entering the Valley, also helped cleanse the lake with water elementals. A minor vale juts out from the Highpine Valley proper, though had been cut off from the remainder of the Valley through a thick pine forest. In this vale several Frost Troll warbands (all former members or descendants of the Icebark Tribe) have warred with one another for dominance since at least before the Second War. Feeding primarily on each other and mountain rams, this Frost Troll Vale is an isolated region of the Highpine Valley. Unlike the rest of the Valley, this Frost Troll Vale has swathes of its pine forests cut down by the trolls for use in their wars for weapons, fuel, tents, and various tribal rituals. It is unknown when the former Icebark Tribe arrived in the Vale but at some point the tribe collapsed due to in-fighting, which has remained a constant part of the Troll's lives. Due to the Valley's relative close proximity to Icewing Point, Marshal Sternbridge hired Goblin crews to build the Lumberworks using blueprints he had drawn up. Using flight-capable Shredder units, the Marshal & the hired Goblins were able to land & clear-cut the Works' site without the need of the cumbersome & lengthy process of bringing in standard clear-cutting workers & machinery. The Lumberworks became operational at the beginning of August & the necessary crewmen were brought in soon after. Ogre Workforce Because of the Dominion's need for available men and women along with the remoteness of the facility, the Lumberworks makes use of lobotomized Crushridge Ogres to cut down & haul the large pieces of lumber that the Valley offers. These Ogres were primarily captured in battles in and around the province of Mount Low Peak and in other western regions of Alterac. Having had their mental faculties diminished via Engineering Mind Control devices, the Highpine Ogres are completely unable to generate rage. Now docile and somewhat trained (including the ability to use Ogre-sized outhouses built specifically for them), these Ogres are used to help support the Dominion without allocating scarce human resources. The original eleven human crew of the Lumberworks consists of necessary mechanics, machine operators, and a trio of Aurellian Magi along with a teleportation transport system connected to Icewing Point to the north. The human crewmen were sworn to secrecy over the use of Ogres to haul & fell Highpine's trees, but knowing that their reputations would be just as tarnished for their part in the use of Ogre labor (and perhaps even imprisoned), none would dare speak a word of it. As the Ogres were brought in well after the Goblin Shredders had left, none among Icewing would be aware of the Ogre's presence in Highpine. The Ogres live in a large Ogre mound just to the west of the Lumberworks, with generally twenty occupying the mound around the clock. Because they are no longer capable of performing violent acts, the Ogres do not hunt, though because of the region's sparse supply of game it would be unlikely they could survive in the region for long on exclusively hunting. Large amounts of bear & yeti meat is brought in from Icewing to feed the Ogres. Their docility has also fostered a strange friendship with the local wildlife, who often trot about outside & among the Ogres, appearing completely unafraid of the half-giants. As they are no longer prone to violence, the Ogres do not attack the trees with gleeful destruction, but their powerful thrusts make the tree-felling fast. The Ogres will occasionally cry when cutting down trees, feeling they are hurting the trees. While normally prone to viciously murdering Ogres, Marshal Raleigh has consoled some of the Ogres about this when he is in the Valley. This has apparently begun to soften his view of Ogres. Some of the Ogres in turn have begun to refer to him as Chieftain. Most Ogres have had their names recorded and profiles taken for the purpose of tallying and supervision. In numerical order: #Gub'lub #Moop #Deew #Mor'ma #Grogge/Gro-gee #Unknown. Called 'Big Fart' by fellow Ogres. #Unknown. Called 'Little Fart' by fellow Ogres #Mokmol #Thund #Hrogh #Unknown. Called 'The Hammer' by fellow Ogres but carries around a large sword that he uses to cut down trees. #Mapmi #Tuna #Mogu-Mogu #Fhud #Chogub #'The High Mountain Storm', 'Iron Hand of Mug'thol', 'DestroyerLover of Bears', Dug #Hguh-heff #Krog'al #Dopa #Fhud'ra. His name was also Fhud but he was asked to add something else in order to not confuse him with the other Fhud. #Mimo the Tiny #Kruke #Fhalrok #Mo'gorom #Mog'thul. Not to be confused with Mug'thol, Chieftain of the Chrushridge. #Red. A red colored Ogre, very likely not born of the Crushridge and was likely adopted. #Blue. A blue colored Ogre, very likely not born of the Crushridge and was likely adopted. #Gold. A purple colored Ogre, very likely not born of the Crushridge and was likely adopted. #Jib-jab. #The Ogre Formerly Known As Jokun. #Dur'gi #Bahg #Dhoggha #Thunderfoot. #Unknown. Often just called 'Chef' for his penchant of serving cooked and raw meat to Ogres in the Ogre mound in Highpine. Originally wore a makeshift apron made of bark before being given some extra construction tarp by one of the human workers at the Lumberworks. #Higar. #Gho'rahn #Beef Boy. #Mazu. Several months after operations in Highpine began, the Dark Portal turned blood red in color and Orcs of the Iron Horde began their Iron Incursion into Azeroth, sparking The Iron War. Marshal Sternbridge was called to stand with the Violet Legion and the Valley operation was ordered to continue as it had been, though expansion plans for the Lumberworks facility were halted until further notice. As the situation on Draenor became more tenable, the Marshal was able to return to Dominion lands and to Highpine. With funding from his personal coffers, expansion and necessary repairs following his absence was completed. As time progressed, crude roadways and towers were built at various points along the map. Eventually a lumber depot was erected in the form of a fortress called Fort Haedris near to the Ogre mounds and their lumberjacking operations. The fort was named after Haedris Fereshen, a deceased member of the House of Fereshen who died in service to his Kingdom nearly a century before the Fort's construction. Another minor settlement has begun to take root around the foot of the granite formation of Anton's Mercy, alongside the West Rise, the westernmost tower constructed in a project known as Four Tower Month. Four towers and roadways connecting them back to the Highpine's lakeside settlement through its road stretching to Fort Haedris in under a month. With a tower in each cardinal direction, most of the towers were finished in time. But the area that would become the location of South Rise Tower stumbled across the Frostvale and its population of Frost Trolls, leading to South Rise's reconstitution as the Frostvale Gate and a larger regiment was placed there to stem any Frost Troll incursion into the greater Highpine Valley. During the Burning Legion invasion of the Hillsbrad Foothills, a sect of the Argus Wake consorted with the Frost Trolls of Frostvale, opening a demonic portal in their temple ruins and summoning forth a small demon army, allowing the trolls to break through the Frostvale Gate. The Lumberworks and the town of Highpine were decimated as it had no adequate defenses to repel such a large force. The towers and Ogre mounds were also destroyed and the lobotomized Ogres were slain. If there were any survivors, it is unknown where they were taken. Trivia *The Ogres were easily startled by flying creatures & objects, often hiding among the thick layers of pine-needles in the trees when one is seen or heard. *The lobotomy process used on the Ogres was developed via an experimental project originally meant to pacify & raise the intelligence of Yeti. *These Ogres may have been viewed as prisoners of war, though Marshal Sternbridge may be in direct violation of Dominion orders despite their status as prisoners as Ogres are generally ordered to be killed on-sight. This may have been interpreted as slave labor. * The town that sprung up around the Lumberworks originally had no official designation. It was most commonly referred to as 'Highpine'. It had the largest concentration of Humans in the Valley. *A minor magical barrier was originally erected by Aurellian Magi forces on request of Marshal Sternbridge. While not impenetrable, most non-magic users are unable to move through it. The barrier gives the impression of being jagged peaks that connect with the mountains along all sides. Following the Dominion's breakdown, the Aurellian Magi returned home to their native lands, leaving the region open to aerial observation. Category:Dominion of Alterac Category:Kingdom of Alterac Category:Realms of Alterac Category:Valleys Category:Places Category:Alterac Mountains Locations